Beriev A-60
Encyclopedia
The Beriev A-60 is a Soviet
/Russian airborne laser
laboratory
aircraft based on the Ilyushin Il-76MD
transport.
In the 1970s a special aviation complex was established by the Soviets at Taganrog machine-building factory to develop airborne laser technology for the Soviet military.
In 1977 Beriev OKB started the design of a flying laboratory designated '1А'. The purpose was to solve the complex scientific and engineering problems regarding the creation of an airborne laser and also to facilitate research on the distribution of beams in the top layers of an atmosphere. Work on this topic occurred with wide cooperation between the enterprises and the scientific organizations of the USSR, but the basic partner OKB was TSKB Almaz headed by B.V.Bunkin.
Hence the problem of accommodating the laser gun was solved and it did not spoil the aerodynamics of the base aircraft. The laser system was 1 MW, created by one of the branches of the Institute of Atomic Energy, Kurchatov. This gas laser, operating on carbon dioxide, was developed for installation on the aircraft IL-76.
The '1A' flying laboratory first flew on 19 August 1981 under E.A. Lakhmostov.
On 29 August 1991, the crew led by test pilot V.P. Demyanovski flew the second flying laboratory which received the name '1А2' СССР-86879. There a new variant of a laser system was installed as a result of various tests on '1А'.
Apparently, after being mothballed for more than a decade and half, the project recently (May 2009) was reactivated, according to the eyewitness accounts about an A-60 spotted flying in Rostov on Don and Taganrog
region. Now it is parked in Taganrog airport. 47°11'53.92"N 38°51'46.05"E
Russia is still developing the military airborne laser mounted in a A-60.
Comparable aircraft:
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
/Russian airborne laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
aircraft based on the Ilyushin Il-76MD
Ilyushin Il-76
The Ilyushin Il-76 is a multi-purpose four-engined strategic airlifter designed by Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a commercial freighter in 1967. Intended as a replacement for the Antonov An-12, the Il-76 was designed for delivering heavy machinery to remote, poorly-serviced areas...
transport.
In the 1970s a special aviation complex was established by the Soviets at Taganrog machine-building factory to develop airborne laser technology for the Soviet military.
In 1977 Beriev OKB started the design of a flying laboratory designated '1А'. The purpose was to solve the complex scientific and engineering problems regarding the creation of an airborne laser and also to facilitate research on the distribution of beams in the top layers of an atmosphere. Work on this topic occurred with wide cooperation between the enterprises and the scientific organizations of the USSR, but the basic partner OKB was TSKB Almaz headed by B.V.Bunkin.
Design
The Il-76MD was selected as a base aircraft for the flying laboratory. In order to accommodate the laser a lot of changes were done on the basic Il-76 design. These modifications have drastically changed the appearance of the plane.- In front, instead of the regular nosecone it was fitted with steerable beam director turret for targeting lidarLIDARLIDAR is an optical remote sensing technology that can measure the distance to, or other properties of a target by illuminating the target with light, often using pulses from a laser...
(Several years later Boeing used similar concept in YAL platform, although for main laser, not targeting). - Large retractable dorsal turret was installed for main laser firing, as engineers found it impossible to fit the main laser aiming optics into the nosecone turret.
- Two large nacelles were installed along the lower edge of the fuselage, which housed the turbogenerators used to power the laser, and another one with the targeting lidar's APUAPU- Film and television :* The Apu Trilogy, a series of Bengali films from the 1950s directed by Satyajit Ray** Apu Roy, the main protagonist of the trilogy* Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, a fictional character from the animated television series The Simpsons...
replaced the "chin" cabin. - The rear cargo doors were removed, although the ramp was kept, as it was a structural element.
- The tail gunner position was also removed.
Hence the problem of accommodating the laser gun was solved and it did not spoil the aerodynamics of the base aircraft. The laser system was 1 MW, created by one of the branches of the Institute of Atomic Energy, Kurchatov. This gas laser, operating on carbon dioxide, was developed for installation on the aircraft IL-76.
The '1A' flying laboratory first flew on 19 August 1981 under E.A. Lakhmostov.
On 29 August 1991, the crew led by test pilot V.P. Demyanovski flew the second flying laboratory which received the name '1А2' СССР-86879. There a new variant of a laser system was installed as a result of various tests on '1А'.
Apparently, after being mothballed for more than a decade and half, the project recently (May 2009) was reactivated, according to the eyewitness accounts about an A-60 spotted flying in Rostov on Don and Taganrog
Taganrog
Taganrog is a seaport city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located on the north shore of Taganrog Bay , several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population: -History of Taganrog:...
region. Now it is parked in Taganrog airport. 47°11'53.92"N 38°51'46.05"E
Russia is still developing the military airborne laser mounted in a A-60.
See also
Related development:- Ilyushin Il-76Ilyushin Il-76The Ilyushin Il-76 is a multi-purpose four-engined strategic airlifter designed by Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a commercial freighter in 1967. Intended as a replacement for the Antonov An-12, the Il-76 was designed for delivering heavy machinery to remote, poorly-serviced areas...
Comparable aircraft:
- Boeing YAL-1Boeing YAL-1The Boeing YAL-1 Airborne Laser Testbed, weapons system is a megawatt-class chemical oxygen iodine laser mounted inside a modified Boeing 747-400F. It is primarily designed as a missile defense system to destroy tactical ballistic missiles , while in boost phase. The aircraft was designated...
- BoeingBoeingThe Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
NC-135
External links
- A-60 description in Russian.
- A-60 - "laser sword of USSR", or "30 years before laser Boeing" in Russian
- A-60 in Russian
- http://russianplanes.net/EN/ID43995